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Gilbert Public Schools appointed Joshua Friedman as director of safety and security when the Governing Board approved his hire on Oct.

27. He will serve the remainder of the 2026-27 school year and previously led safety for Scottsdale Unified and Gilbert's emergency management.

Higley Unified School District gathered input from students, teachers and parents during superintendent ambassador meetings in the first quarter to help shape district priorities and future planning (meetings included student body presidents, volunteer teachers and parents from each campus).

The Cardinals rallied to tie the Cowboys 30-30 in regulation after Gardner Minshew's late 13-yard TD to Michael Wilson, but a missed extra point sent the game into overtime (Sunday, Nov.

1) in Dallas.

Gas prices in the Valley fell 10 cents this week to $4.41 a gallon, a 42-cent drop over the past month but still 93 cents higher than a year ago, and crude oil above $100 per barrel is limiting further declines.

Several Gilbert Public Schools elementary campuses were recognized in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Elementary Schools rankings (No. 10 Neely Traditional Academy, No. 40 Patterson), and Ashland Ranch and Canyon Rim were also listed.

The rankings use state assessment data on math and reading, and the district retains A ratings.

Nearly all Gilbert schools earned A or B on the Arizona Department of Education's 2025-26 grades released last week; Gilbert Public, Higley and Chandler Unified each received district As, with GPS 32 As/6 Bs, Higley 12 of 13 As, Chandler 31 As, and schools can appeal through Nov.

16.

Gilbert's housing market cooled in September as pending single-family sales fell 45.9% from Sept.

2025 while inventory rose 24.3% year over year, giving buyers more choices + the median sales price still climbed 2.5% to $584,343.

Gilbert survivor Missy Colborn, more than five years in remission after a 2019 Stage II diagnosis and double mastectomy, is speaking out this October to highlight the fear patients face after treatment ends.

She urges families to keep supporting survivors because emotional healing often continues after physical care stops.